Fire Emblem Awakening: Dawn of Grima
by DreadLord552
Summary: An alternate universe where Chrom never found him, Robin must discover who he truly is, and what that means for the world around him, with or without help.
1. Chapter 1 Awakening

Chapter 1

Awakening...

Let it be known I own no characters portrayed in this work of fiction save a few minor characters. If you are squeamish, and and entirely against graphic depictions of gore and foul language, this story is not for you.

He opened his eyes, staring upward at the sky. His mind blank while he stared upward at the clear skies. "What was I?" he asked in his mind. No answer came to him however, no matter how hard he tried to recall what he was doing only darkness sputtered forth in his mind. "Where am I?" he thought, he rose to his feet, supporting himself with his arms. He glimpsed his surroundings, a small dirt path lie before him. He took note of the grass patch he was formerly in, a single purple tome rested where he once was. "That seems out of place. Was- is that mine?" He gazed around once more before taking the tome into his arms. Not a soul was around. "I'll just hold onto this then." He thought, beginning to tro d down the beaten path. "Hold it close…" He couldn't explain it, but he felt he needed this book for something, something quite important. He glanced it over once more; he couldn't make out the inscription on the front so he instead turned his attention toward the inside. Each and every page was blank, no text, no symbols, not even a single hint ink had ever touching the pages surface was present. He closed it, tucking it safely under his arm. "Go now…" this impulse relayed to his mind. "Not much else I can do anyway." He continued his march southward. The path was worn, yet straight, he cast his gaze upward, the clear skies ever blue and seemingly never ending, only a hint of smoke caught his eyes in the distance over a couple of hills. He sprinted in that direction, unsure of the cause, what he could possibly do, but feeling he must do something. He rushed as fast as his legs would carry, uncertain of his self, knowing only that he must help in some way, whomever was in trouble. "This doesn't concern you." he heard, the voice nagging in the back of his head, urging him to cease, he ignored this feeling, charging forward, tripping over a small stone in the process, sending the book flying from under his arms. It landed, spine up, allowing its pages to be tarnished with the earthen soil. The man picked himself up once more, dusting himself off, he continued on his pace, grabbing the book in the process. He overcame the hill ahead of him to see a town ablaze, men surrounding a woman and child, weapons in hand. He ran down the hill, almost tripping again on the dirt. "Stop! Leave those people alone!" he yelled at the men, five of them, turned their gaze to him. "And whaddya gonna do about it huh?" All of the men had a gaze about them, they were doing this for wealth, but also for fun, he could tell. The man to the far left was dressed in robes, he held a red book to his side, a hat covering his head. Two slender men stood to the sides of a larger one both were dressed in tunics, emblems stitched onto the upper left of them,with matching metal headbands covering their foreheads. He took note both of them were holding swords, the grins on their faces told him they were fairly confident in their swordsmanship. The man in the middle chuckle, thwacking his hammer against his open palm."I think this ylissian needs to be learned in the ways of conversation." the man holding the book said, flipping it's pages while his gaze was transfixed on him.

"Ylissian?" he thought. He quickly sized up the man to the far right, he held an axe in hand, his face not a smile nor a frown, he worn animal hides and had a bull skull on his head.

"Agreed…" the axeman said, lifting the axe off the ground. The group surrounded the man as best as they could.

"Oi, Olivan, you could make use of that tome couldn't ya?" The man with the hammer said, eyeing the purple book he held. As if on instinct he tried to hide the book from their sights.

"That's a dark tome, It would take some time for me to use it, but maybe Jaxxs could use it. Either way let's take it." the robed man said, opening his book.

"Alright lad, we'll make it easier on ya, hand us the book so we don't gots to get no blood on it, and we'll make sure your death ain't too terribly painful." The hammerman said, his voice stern.

As if the book had a will of it's own it opened whilst in his grasp, turning to it's centermost pages.

"The damn thing's blank, the hell?" One of the swordsman asked getting into a fighting stance. he gazed upon the book, it's formerly blank pages began to emit a dark fire.

"He's a dark mage Garrick, I don't like the looks of that book now." The mage said taking a few steps back.

"It won't matter what spells he tries to cast if he ain't got any arms to hold the damned thing it won't be of any use to him!" the axeman furiously took a swing at him only to have the blade stopped by the spine of the book. The dark flames engulfed the book, spreading onto the axe, and the the axeman, holding tight to him, searing his flesh in the process. It spread over his body like wildfire, burning the pelts and turning his skin an ashen grey, the axeman screamed and hollered in pain leaving his allies only able to look on before he collapsed to the ground dead.

"Who's next?" he asked, a small grin showing on his face.

" Taric! Malus! Get em!" The man wielding the hammer yelled. On cue they swung both their swords at him, hoping to cleave him in two, only to have the same dark flames surround him before spreading to their blades and them as well.

"Bold aren't you, it's a shame, I would've hoped you'd learned from your friend there." he said calmly, looking to the corpse. They both cried out in agony as the flames proceeded to spread over them, turning their skin a ghastly grey as it burned. He merely looked at the mage.

"I didn't agree to fight a monster! Garrick! We need to go!" The mage Olivan called out, turning to flee.

"Ah ah ah…" he said, pointing the book at him. "We're not finished yet." A flame shot out of the book, grabbing onto the mage and crushing him whilst he burned, a sizzling sound of could be heard along with his agonized cries of pain.

"Alright, just who the fuck are you." The man called Garrick asked calmly, looking the no named man in his eyes. He saw a dark gleam that wasn't there moments ago, his eyes shown with a burning hatred.

"I don't know, but I do know that you will die." he laughed, pointing his book at Garrick.

"Like hell I will!" he yelled, pulling a hand axe off of his back, he hurled it at him. He didn't bother to move, he just tilted his head to the right. A small gash appeared on his left cheek where the blade had cut.

"Allow me to show you what I can do." he closed the book, holding it in his left hand. Flames appeared from the ground below Garrick, surrounding him in a veil of fire, the flames rotated in a spiral around him, increasing in intensity as he looked on. Garrick tried to run through the flames only to have them latch onto his body, steadily overtaking his form, burning all that the flame touched on him. It slowly worked it's way up and down his body, first turning his skin gray from the heat, and then black as it went over him a second time, his face was the only thing left uncharred.

"Ugh.." Garrick moaned, trying to move, but none of his muscles responded, they were reduced to f charred flesh that merely resembled the human form, dark red blood gushed from each of his limbs as he tried to move in pain. Each action he took caused him greater pain, causing him to move more, creating a cycle that went on till the Man known as Garrick's eyes went pale and ceased moving. He looked down upon Garrick, then over to his fallen men, seemingly satisfied with their painful deaths he turned to people he'd saved. They looked onward in horror at the man adorned in purple robes who stood at the center of the carnage. They looked to his book, which was firmly in his grasp, the flames gone.

"Are you alrigh-"

"Stay away from us!" the woman cried out, holding her child in her arms to shield her from the view. The corpses continued to sizzle and bubble, small pockets of blood popped from them, some splattered on the woman as Garrick's corpse toppled over into a messy puddle of darkened fluid and ash.

"Frederick, Lissa, there!" A voice yelled out behind him. Two men and a small blonde haired girl came running into the town square where the burned corpses lie. "Stop, don't harm those people." one man said, pointing his blade. He was adorned in blue armor, a white cape over his left shoulder swayed in a gentle breeze.  
"I have no intent to harm these people, I saved them." he said in return, his smirk fading.

"And what reason are we to believe you? Around you and you alone there are five charred corpses, as well as that house by them has been set ablaze. You are the most likely suspect for this crime against the people of Ylisse." The other man spoke, clad in white and light blue armor that covered him from the neck down from atop a horse.

"I understand your reasoning but in truth these five burnt corpses were the men who set this place ablaze."

"Given the accused are dead, we may have to take his word for it." The blue armored man said, sheathing his sword.

"Regardless of whether or not he is the cause, he is still a danger Chrom, we can't allow such a mage to roam the halidom doing as he pleases." The horse riding man calmly said.

"So we take him with us then-"

"Don't I have a say in this?! Chrom!?"

"You know of me then? I've not seen you in Ylisse before, perhaps you'd be kind enough to give us your name, as a sign of good faith." Chrom asked him.

"I-I can't remember." he said, downtrodden.

"Ooh, ooh, I know this, you have amnesia!" the blonde haired girl said.

"We're to believe you know milord's name and not your own, highly suspect, Chrom I'd say it for the best that we bring this man with us, amnesia or not." The man on the horse readied his lance, pointing it at him. "Will you come quietly or not? I'd prefer the first option, however to ensure all of our safety…" he trailed off, leaving the man's mind to wonder what would become of him.

(Flee… Robin... They are… our enemies…) he heard in the back of his skull.

"Now Frederick, if this man truly saved the town I've no doubt that he-"

"He's getting away Chrom!"

"What?" Chrom turned to view where the man in purple had stood, however he only saw the man flee toward the forest in the distance.

"Normally I'd say we allow him to roam, but given his actions that's highly inadvisable. Gods only know what that man is capable of."

"Frederick, while I agree we can't let him be free for the time being, we should talk to him and hear what he has to say first, then determine whether or not he's at fault." Chrom said. The small child finally wriggled free of her mother's grasp. Chrom felt a tug on his cape.

"Milord, that man saved my mother from those men." she said. Chrom and Frederick looked over to her.

"Is this true?" Frederick asked.

"He did save us from those men, but only Naga knows what he was going to do with us after he finished with them, he seemed calm and hesitant at first, then he used that magic of his and burnt them to a crisp. He had a look in his eyes that wasn't right, he looked as though was reveling in their suffering." She told them. Frederick looked at Chrom.

"This is the man you'd wish to allow be free to roam? Think of the panic that could arise from such a man loose in Ylisse, I wager to say he is just as bad, if not worse than the brigands who so often invade our borders." Frederick continued.

"You've made your point Frederick, Lissa stay here." Chrom said.

"What? But I'm a Shepherd too, I can help, I'm not that delicate!" she cried. Chrom looked over at the pile of liquid.

"It's more dangerous than we're used to, stay here." he said firmly.

"Fine." she huffed, a man walked over to the woman and child, after looking them over he soon turned his attention to the bunch.

"Milord, have no fear, young Lissa will be safe with us, it's the least we can do for you." he said, a smile on his face.

"Many thanks, Lissa, we'll be back by daybreak."

"Yes, we'd best get moving, we can't search all through the forest, I'd like to make camp soon and venture from there." Frederick said, moving off in the direction of the forest.


	2. Chapter 2 Two Sides

Chapter 2

Two sides...

Far ahead he ran, ahead of the group and away from the town. His legs carrying him far and fast without any real reason. (Why am I running?) he thought to himself, his legs finally stopping in front of a large tree. "You flee because it is best." he heard in his head. (You, what or who are you! Who am I?) he thought to himself, slumping down resting on the tree. The bark pricked into his back, making him wince a bit. "You are something glorious child, In time I will tell you who you truly are, until then heed my words. I will tell you your name."

(You didn't tell me sooner because?)

"There was no opportune moment, you chose to ignore my warnings and proceeded to make work for me." the voice continued.

(So those flames were your-)

"Ours, those flames are ours, you can use them as well afterall, we're the same, you and I."

(My name is?) he thought impatiently.

"My my, boy I tell you this by choice, not because I must, you knowing your name changes not a thing." the voice continued ending in a small chuckle.

(Please, just tell me. I want to know at least my name.) he thought, looking down again at his book.

"Your name is Robin." it said.

"Robin." he mused aloud, inspecting the name. Hearing it he felt nothing, no warmth or emotion, his name was his name nothing more and nothing less.

"Are you displeased by your name? You seem unhappy." it asked him.

"I now know my name, and for that I thank you, whomever you may be. Or whatever in this case." Robin said.

"You'll know my name soon enough, stay here for now, we'll have a guest in a couple of minutes, simply stand, do not attack." the voice said, fading.

"What?" There was no response, the voice had gone silent. Robin waited, sitting by the large tree, he looked around seeing nothing, hearing nothing. Crick*, a stick or twig was broken nearby. (Was that the guest? I didn't hear any footsteps till now, how could they be so close?) Robin thought, standing at attention book in hand. The breaking sound grew louder, the earth near Robin began to quake and rumble and rupture, releasing one ashen being before his very eyes. Its skin grey and eyes glowed crimson, jet black hair spewed from its scalp, looking parched. armed only with an axe.

"By the gods what demon is this!?" Robin cried out. He frantically turned the pages of his book, hoping to cast his fire spell. It let out a guttural roar charging at him axe in hand ready to swing and split him in two. Robin's book did nothing, he fumbled it before dodging barely as the axe cut where his head would have been. The creature stared at him with its soulless eyes, yanking the axe from the tree's trunk. "Help someone!" Robin called, trying to flee, the monster charged once more after him, axe in hand swinging violently cutting down all obstacles in its path. Robin dared not look behind as he keep running, weaving in between the trees, he understood the sound of them falling meant he was no further from it as it was before. For just one moment he turned back, seeing the beast charging toward him, he slammed head first into a tree in his path falling over onto his back. The beast loomed above him, ready to cleave him in two. (So this is where it ends. I learn my name and now I die.) Robin closed his eyes, waiting for the blow.

"Don't just stand there, fight!" he heard called toward him. He opened his eyes and saw the creature's attention diverted, focusing instead on a young man in a mask adorned in dark blue clothing holding the axe back it's with an odd sword.

(That looks familiar.) he thought getting up off the ground.

"Don't just stand there, help!" he called out, jumping backward as the creature used it's force to overpower him.

"Right!" he yelled, flipping through the pages once more. ( I really wish I knew what I was doing.) he thought, focusing on the creature.

"I will not help you. Such would give away the nature of us. Use that stick there." He heard clear as day. Without question Robin closed his book throwing it to the side and grabbed a sharp stick created from the monster's rampage.

"Keep it distracted!" Robin yelled, preparing to charge.

"Fine!" the masked boy yelled, deflecting each of the creatures attacks away from his body. Robin charged forward, leaping into the air onto the creature's back.

"DIE!" he yelled, jamming the stick into the bulky beast's neck.  
"URHG" it moaned, the red glow from it's eyes vanishing, it's body faded into a puff of purple smoke sending Robin falling onto the ground.

Robin stood up looking around for some instance of the creature's presence, but he found none save for the damage caused previously. "I didn't just imagine that did I?" he asked the masked boy who approached him.

"No, you did not." he replied calmly, sheathing his sword.

"Do you know what that was?" Robin asked, tossing his stick aside.

"A sign of worse troubles to come." he said, turning around. "You're welcome for the assistance, but I have other matters to attend to.

"Er, yes, thank you for that, had you not arrived earlier I'd have been cut in two by that thing. Might I travel with you?"

"They are Risen."

"Risen?"

"They are creatures created by the Fell Dragon Grima, his minions, whose only purpose is increase the dead, thus increasing their numbers." the boy added.  
"So this Grima is nearby then?" Robin asked.

"There's no way of knowing for sure, Grima is currently not awakened, at least not fully, the Risen merely mean that Grima's will is active and reviving them to do his bidding. He may awaken soon, which would spell disaster for not only Ylisse but the world as well."

"Just who or what is this Grima?" Robin proceeded to ask, his curiosity peaked.

"As I've said before he is a dragon, one whose call is a deathknell to man, he exists solely for the purpose of ending mankind and casting all into despair. And to answer your previous question, you may not. I suggest you get some practice with that spellbook of yours, it doesn't do much good if you don't know how to cast from it." he added, beginning to walk away.

"I'm Robin, what might I ask is the name of my rescuer?" he felt a small amount of anger toward him for that comment, the reason eluded him.

"You may call me Marth." he added, before finally disappearing behind the foliage in the distance.

"Marth… I'll remember that name to be certain." Robin said aloud. looking over at his book on the dirt. Walking over to retrieve it he saw an orange glow in the distance, he carefully approached it trying to make as little sound as possible.

Chrom and his ally Frederick sat on logs by the fire, meat roasting over it. "Do you think we'll find him?" Chrom asked, staring into the flame.

"We will, for certain milord. No one would be mad enough to wander the forest at night." Frederick added.

"But he's not necessarily in his right mind you assume."

"I doubt he has amnesia, and I also doubt that he is as friendly as he states. He may have saved the townsfolk from the brigands but we've no way of knowing what he planned to do to them afterward. Not to mention he was needlessly cruel when dealing with them. Were it you or I we may have killed them, but no doubt not in front of a child." he said calmly, reaching for a piece of meat from over the flame.

"Yes, I suppose, and if we don't find him ourselves certainly this meat roasting will draw him near." Chrom and Frederick both laughed a bit. Robin's stomach grumbled in the distance, neither seemed to notice.

"Milord, I'm going to foray ahead, perhaps I'll find some clues of his whereabouts that we might not find otherwise during the day."

"Very well, be safe."  
"Milord, please remember who you speak to." they both heard a rustling in the bushes beside their camp.

"Show yourself." Frederick called, grabbing his lance.

"Calm down, it's just me!" A small girl with blonde hair walked into camp, twigs and leaves in her hair.

"Lissa, we both told you to stay in town, it's too dangerous, we've no idea the things that man is capable of."

"Not to mention he never gave us his name. If we don't find him tomorrow we'll have no choice but to alert the border guard to not allow anyone with white hair into or out of the land." "How hard could it be to notice a man in a Grimleal cloak with white hair? If he even goes close to any towns he'll be noticed for sure." Lissa laughed.

"Perhaps, but what if he were to make it to Plegia, or even manage to find his way off the continent by ship, we can't post border guards along the entire nation." Frederick added, before taking a bite of his skewered meat.

"What is that? It smells like an old boot."

"Bear." Chrom replied frankly, grabbing a piece of meat for himself. "Would you like some?"

The conversation continued back and forth, Robin was beginning to grow impatient.

"You don't need their food. You can just as easily find your own." the voice said to him.

"How?" Robin whispered back to the voice.

"Use our book, we'll cook whatever you find with it."

"The book isn't very reliable, I nearly died if you recall."

"You were never truly in any danger."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"If you were in any danger obviously I would have stepped in to assist you, you handled yourself well enough even without using our power." the voice quickly responeded.

"Theoretically, what would you do if I turned myself over to them?" Robin muttered, awaiting a response.

"Nothing." the voice said.

"Alright then." Robin whispered back. He continued to watch them as they laid under the stars, putting the fire out and dozed off to sleep. Robin then set off, seeking his own food.


End file.
